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in the public theatre, befitting teachers. And when again the husband is faithful and very complete and able to teach her, so that she may become wiser, it does not forbid her to teach and to correct. And he did not say, "She who has taught much," but, "She who has labored much," showing that along with the word she also ministered in other things, in dangers, in money, in travels. b. For the women of that time were more ardent than lions, sharing with the apostles the labors for the preaching; for this reason they also travelled with them, and ministered in all other things. And in the time of Christ also, women followed, ministering from their own possessions, and attending to the teacher. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen. This too seems to be a commendation; but what follows is much greater. And what is this? And my fellow prisoners. For this is the greatest crown, the great proclamation. And where was Paul a prisoner of war, that he should say, My fellow prisoners? He was not a prisoner of war, but he suffered things much harder than prisoners of war, being estranged not only from his country and house, but also wrestling with famine and continual death and countless other things. For the only terrible thing for a prisoner of war is this, that being estranged from his own people, he often becomes a slave instead of a free man; but here one can speak of snowstorms of temptations, which this blessed man endured, being led and led about, being scourged and bound, being stoned, shipwrecked, having countless plotters against him. And prisoners of war, after their capture, no longer have any enemy, but even enjoy much provision from their captors; but this man was continually surrounded by enemies, and everywhere saw spears, and sharpened swords, and battle lines and battles. Since therefore it was likely that these also had shared in many dangers with him, he calls them fellow prisoners, just as he also says elsewhere: Aristarchus my fellow prisoner. Then also another praise: Who are of note among the apostles. And yet to be apostles is a great thing, but to be of note even among them, consider how great a 60.670 commendation! And they were of note for their works, for their achievements. Oh, how great is the philosophy of this woman, that she was counted worthy of the title of the apostles! And he does not stop here either, but again adds another commendation, saying: Who also were in Christ before me. For this too is a very great praise, to have leapt forward and to have come before the others. But consider for me the holy soul, how pure it was from vainglory. For after so great and so much glory, he places others before himself, and does not hide that he came after them, nor is he ashamed to confess this. And why do you wonder, if he is not ashamed of this, when he does not refuse even to parade his former life, calling himself a blasphemer and a persecutor? Since, therefore, he had no way of putting them before the others on this score, he looked to himself, who came after the others, and found from this also a way to compose a praise for them, by saying, Who also were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus my beloved. This one again he commends on the basis of love; for the love of Paul, being for God's sake, contained countless good things. For if it is a great thing to be loved by a king, how great a commendation it is to be loved by Paul! For he would not have drawn him to love, unless he had possessed great virtue. For he knows not only not to love those who live in wickedness and lawlessness, but even to anathematize them; as when he says, If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema; and, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. And Urbanus, my helper in Christ. This commendation is greater than that one; for that one also contains this one. And Stachys my beloved. Again from the same things he crowns this one also. Greet Apelles the approved in Christ. Nothing is equal to this praise, to be unassailable and to offer no handle in things pertaining to God. For when he says, The

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κοινῷ θεάτρῳ διδασκάλοις πρέπουσαν. Καὶ ὅταν πάλιν πιστὸς ὁ ἀνὴρ ᾖ καὶ σφόδρα ἀπηρτισμένος καὶ διδάσκειν αὐτὴν δυνάμενος, ὡς ἂν αὐτὴ σοφωτέρα ᾖ, οὐ κωλύει διδάσκειν καὶ διορθοῦν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἥτις πολλὰ ἐδίδαξεν, ἀλλ', Ἥτις πολλὰ ἐκοπίασε, δεικνὺς ὅτι μετὰ τοῦ λόγου καὶ ἕτερα ἄλλα διηκονεῖτο, τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν κινδύνων, τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν χρημάτων, τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποδημιῶν. βʹ. Λεόντων γὰρ θερμότεραι αἱ τότε γυναῖκες ἦσαν, διανεμόμεναι πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους τοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ κηρύγματος πόνους· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ συναπεδήμουν αὐτοῖς, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα διηκονοῦντο. Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δὲ ἠκολούθουν γυναῖκες ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐταῖς διακονούμεναι, καὶ θεραπεύουσαι τὸν διδάσκαλον. Ἀσπάσασθε Ἀνδρόνικον καὶ Ἰουνίαν τοὺςσυγγενεῖς μου. ∆οκεῖ μὲν καὶ τοῦτο ἐγκώμιον εἶναι· τὸ δὲ ἐφεξῆς πολλῷ μεῖζον. Ποῖον δὲ τοῦτο; Καὶ συναιχμαλώτους μου. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ μέγιστος στέφανος, ἡ μεγάλη ἀνακήρυξις. Καὶ ποῦ γέγονεν αἰχμάλωτος Παῦλος, ἵνα εἴπῃ, Τοὺς συναιχμαλώτους μου; Αἰχμάλωτος μὲν οὐκ ἐγένετο, αἰχμαλώτων δὲ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερα ἔπασχεν, οὐ πατρίδος ἀλλοτριούμενος μόνον καὶ οἰκίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ λιμῷ παλαίων καὶ θανάτῳ διηνεκεῖ καὶ μυρίοις ἑτέροις. Τοῦ μὲν γὰρ αἰχμαλώτου τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ δεινὸν, ὅτι τῶν οἰκείων ἀλλοτριούμενος, δοῦλος γίνεται πολλάκις ἀντ' ἐλευθέρου· ἐνταῦθα δὲ νιφάδας ἔστιν εἰπεῖν πειρασμῶν, οὓς ὑπέμενεν ὁ μακάριος οὗτος, ἀγόμενος καὶ περιαγόμενος, μαστιγούμενος καὶ δεσμούμενος, λιθαζόμενος, καταποντιζόμενος, μυρίους ἔχων ἐπιβούλους. Καὶ οἱ μὲν αἰχμάλωτοι οὐδένα λοιπὸν ἔχουσι πολέμιον μετὰ τὴν ἀπαγωγὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύουσι προνοίας παρὰ τῶν εἰληφότων αὐτούς· οὗτος δὲ ἐν μέσοις περιεστρέφετο τοῖς πολεμίοις διηνεκῶς, καὶ πανταχοῦ δόρατα ἔβλεπε, καὶ ξίφη ἠκονημένα, καὶ παρατάξεις καὶ μάχας. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ τούτους εἰκὸς ἦν πολλῶν αὐτῷ κεκοινωνηκέναι κινδύνων, συναιχμαλώτους αὐτοὺς καλεῖ, ὥσπερ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν· Ἀρίσταρχος ὁ συναιχμάλωτός μου. Εἶτα καὶ ἕτερος ἔπαινος· Οἵτινές εἰσιν ἐπίσημοι ἐν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις. Καίτοι καὶ τὸ ἀποστόλους εἶναι μέγα, τὸ δὲ καὶ ἐν τούτοις ἐπισήμους εἶναι, ἐννόησον ἡλίκον 60.670 ἐγκώμιον· ἐπίσημοι δὲ ἦσαν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων, ἀπὸ τῶν κατορθωμάτων. Βαβαὶ, πόση τῆς γυναικὸς ταύτης ἡ φιλοσοφία, ὡς καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀξιωθῆναι προσηγορίας. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἵσταται, ἀλλ' ἕτερον πάλιν ἐγκώμιον προστίθησι, λέγων· Οἳ καὶ πρὸ ἐμοῦ γεγόνασιν ἐν Χριστῷ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἔπαινος μέγιστος, τὸ προπηδῆσαι καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἐλθεῖν. Σκόπει δέ μοι τὴν ἁγίαν ψυχὴν πῶς κενοδοξίας ἦν καθαρά. Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν τοσαύτην καὶ τηλικαύτην δόξαν ἑτέρους ἑαυτοῦ προτίθησι, καὶ οὐκ ἀποκρύπτεται τὸ ὕστερος αὐτῶν ἐλθεῖν, οὐδὲ αἰσχύνεται τοῦτο ὁμολογῶν. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις, εἰ τοῦτο οὐκ αἰσχύνεται, ὅπου γε καὶ τὸν πρότερον αὐτοῦ βίον ἐκπομπεύειν οὐ παραιτεῖται, βλάσφημον ἑαυτὸν καὶ διώκτην καλῶν; Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐκ εἶχε τῶν ἄλλων ἐντεῦθεν αὐτοὺς προτιθέναι, ἐζήτησε τὸν μετὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐλθόντα ἑαυτὸν, καὶ εὗρε καὶ ἐντεῦθεν αὐτοῖς συνθεῖναι ἔπαινον, εἰπὼν, Οἳ καὶ πρὸ ἐμοῦ γεγόνασιν ἐν Χριστῷ. Ἀσπάσασθε Ἀμπλίαν τὸν ἀγαπητόν μου. Πάλιν τοῦτον ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης ἐγκωμιάζει· ἡ γὰρ ἀγάπη Παύλου διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, ἦν, μυρία ἔχουσα ἀγαθά. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ παρὰ βασιλέως ἀγαπᾶσθαι, μέγα, τὸ παρὰ Παύλου φιλεῖσθαι, ἡλίκον ἐγκώμιον; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν, εἰ μὴ πολλὴν ἀρετὴν ἐκέκτητο, εἰς ἔρωτα αὐτὸν ἐπεσπάσατο. Οἶδε γὰρ τοὺς ἐν κακίᾳ ζῶντας καὶ παρανομίαις οὐ μόνον οὐ φιλεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀναθεματίζειν· ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ, Εἴ τις οὐ φιλεῖ τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ἔστω ἀνάθεμα· καὶ, Εἴ τις ὑμᾶς εὐαγγελίζεται παρ' ὃ παρελάβετε, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. Καὶ Οὐρβανὸν τὸν συνεργόν μου ἐν Χριστῷ. Τοῦτο ἐκείνου μεῖζον τὸ ἐγκώμιον· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνο περιέχει τοῦτο. Καὶ Στάχυν τὸν ἀγαπητόν μου. Πάλιν ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν στεφανοῖ καὶ τοῦτον. Ἀσπάσασθε Ἀπελλῆν τὸν δόκιμον ἐν Χριστῷ. Οὐδὲν τούτου τοῦ ἐπαίνου ἴσον, τὸ ἄληπτον εἶναι καὶ μηδεμίαν παρέχειν λαβὴν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ Θεὸν πράγμασιν. Ὅταν γὰρ εἴπῃ, Τὸν